This document provides a history of land records in South Asia, starting with their organization under Sher Shah Suri in 1540 and improvements made under Emperor Akbar and later under British rule in India and Pakistan. It notes key events like the creation of the Settlement Department in British India in 1863 and the first Pakistani legislation regarding land records promulgated in 1976. The document also discusses how the British assigned Produce Index Units to agricultural lands based on classification and productivity to introduce an equitable tax system later adopted by Pakistan.

1. A Guide on Land Records
MISS. SHABEENA NOOR
CIVIL JUDGE/ILLAQA QAZI-IV, MATTA SWAT
Prepared by

2.  1540 AD (Sher Shah Suri)
• First ever organized land records in South Asia
 1566 AD (Emperor Akbar)
• Raja Todar Mal Made improvements into system
 1863 AD (British India)
• Settlement Department created
 1976 AD (Pakistan)
• First Legislation Promulgated
 1968 AD (Pakistan)
• Land Revenue Rules, 1968
LAND RECORD,  HISTORY

3. British government Assigned Produce Index Units (a measure of land based on
classification and productivity) to Agricultural lands under the comprehensive land survey.
The objective of this exercise was to introduce a fair and equitable agriculture tax system
i.e. a rain-fed farm having low PIU value should not be taxed equal to the canal irrigated
land which has a higher PIU value. The PIUs in Pakistan were last updated in 1959.
This land administration system was adopted by Pakistan after Partition.